HÀ NỘI — Standard Chartered Vietnam General Director Nguyễn Thuý Hạnh concluded a series of high-level engagements in New York during the Vietnamese Government’s visit to the US, focusing on Việt Nam’s growth prospects and its increasing integration into the global economy.

Witnessed by Party General Secretary and State President Tô Lâm, Standard Chartered exchanged two strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) and EQuest Group, aiming to mobilise more than US$1 billion in international resources.

Under the first MoU, Standard Chartered Bank New York Branch, Standard Chartered Bank (Vietnam) Limited and HDBank will cooperate on fundraising opportunities, US dollar clearing, trade finance, cash management, payments and foreign exchange, while expanding cross-border financing connections.

Under the second, Standard Chartered Bank, through its New York Branch, EQuest Education Group and EQuest Capital LLC agreed on seven strategic initiatives to mobilise hundreds of millions of US dollars for education infrastructure and cooperation with leading international institutions, including US universities.

During the visit, Minister of Finance Ngô Văn Tuấn met senior Standard Chartered representatives and recognised the bank’s longstanding support in connecting Việt Nam with international investors, supporting sovereign credit rating initiatives and sharing international capital market expertise.

Tuấn asked the bank to continue supporting Việt Nam’s efforts to achieve an Investment Grade sovereign rating. Standard Chartered reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the country’s financial integration, capital market development and access to global investors.

The bank noted that potential future sovereign bond issuance would be influenced by US Treasury yields, inflation expectations, geopolitical developments and investor risk appetite. It said Việt Nam’s macroeconomic fundamentals continued to support investor confidence in its long-term growth prospects.

Standard Chartered supported the Government’s $1 billion international bond issuance in 2014, which attracted $10.6 billion in investor demand. Since early 2026, it has helped Vietnamese corporations and financial institutions raise about $3.3 billion in international markets, with the total expected to reach nearly $7 billion by year-end.

At a high-level executive roundtable hosted by the US-ASEAN Business Council and US Chamber of Commerce, Hạnh outlined three priorities: developing a liquid sovereign US dollar benchmark curve through regular international bond issuance; strengthening Việt Nam’s sovereign credit profile with the ambition of achieving an Investment Grade label; and deepening connectivity with international financial markets.

“We believe Việt Nam is well positioned to attract substantial international capital, and a sustained presence in offshore capital markets would serve as an important catalyst for the continued development of both the sovereign and broader Vietnamese capital markets,” Hạnh said.

She also joined senior Vietnamese leaders and business executives at a Government-hosted dialogue on technology, energy and finance, discussing opportunities to deepen international investment and connectivity as Việt Nam advances its next chapter of growth. — BIZHUB/VNS